Adjusting or tuning device for variable condensers



Sept. 29, 1931. J. E. DENTON. 1,825,511

ADJUSTING OR TUNING DEVICE FOR VARIABLE CONDENSERS Filed Jan. 4, 19

device;

Patented Sept. 29, 1931 r;

UNITED STATES-PATENT OFFICE JAMES E. nENron, oEmvINE, xnnrucxxnssrenon F ONE-FOURTH 'ro 'JOHN Am" WALLACE nn B 'r'rY'A. WALLAGE, BOTH 0E IRVINE, KENTUCKY ADJUSTING on TUNING nEvIcE Eon VARIABLE CONDENSERS Application filed January 4, 1930. SeriaI no. 418,596,

This invention relates to variable condensers of the type used in radio receiving sets, and has for one of its objects to'provide a novel and simple device through the medium of which the movable plates of a plurality of condensers may be independently or simultaneously adjusted.

To attain the foregoing and other objects, the nature of which will'appear as the description proceeds, the invention comprehends the provision of a device of the character stated which shall embody a shaft for thevmovable plates of each condenser, the shafts being concentrically related and capable of being turned independently,

knobs secured 'to the shafts to permit them to beturned independently and means by which the knobs may be connected together when it is desired to turn the shaftssimultaneously.

The invention is hereinafter more fully described and claimed, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure 1 is a view partly in side elevation and partly in vertical section illustrating the application of my condenser-tuning device;

Figure 2 is a view partly in top plan and partly in horizontal section of the tuning Figure 3 is a View in front the tuning device, and

Figure 4: is a sectional view taken on the vertical plane indicated by theline 4{1 of Figure3. J

Referring in detail to the drawings, 1 des ignates the panel of aradio receiving set, and 2 a housing for a plurality of variable condensers. I wardly from thepanel 1,. and it maybe secured at its front end to theinner side of the panel in any suitable manner. The housing 2 is open at its front end and closed at its rear end. The condensers, of which some of the movable plates 3 are only shown, will be arranged within the housing one in rearfof the other;

elevation of The tuning device comprises a' shaft 4 which extends longitudinally through the housing 2, and is journaled at its rear'end in The housing 2 extends reara bearing opening 5 in the rear wall 6 of the housing. The front end portion of the shaft 4 passes through an opening 5a which is formed in the panel 1 and is larger than and axially alined with the bearing opening 5. The shaft 4 is provided at itsrear I end with a head 4a, which, contacts with the rear side of the housing wall 6, and it is provided at its front end with a knob 7 which ,is spaced from the front side of the panel 1. A hollow shaft 8 is rotatably -mounted' upon the shaft 4, a hollow shaft 9' is rotatably mounted upon theshaft 8, a

hollow shaft 10 is rotatably mounted on the shaft 9, and a hollow shaft 11 is rotatably 85 mounted upon the shaft 10; Knobs'12, 13, 14 and 15 are-secured to the outer ends of the shafts 8, 9, 10 and 11, respectively, and they are arranged one in rear of the other between the panel 1 and knob 7.- The shafts 8, 9, 10 and 11 pass through the openings 5a of the panel 1 with the shaft 11 in light "contact with the wall of the opening, and they extend rearwardly beyond each other with the shaft 8 terminating short of the rearend of the shaft 1.

The movable plates 3 of one of the condensers are fixed to that portion of the shaft 4: located rearwardly beyond the shaft 8, and the movable'plates of the other condensers are fixed to the extended portions of the shafts 8 to 10. As the head 4a con- 7 tacts with the rear side of the housing wall 6, and as the knobs 12 to 15 are arranged between the panel 1 and knob 7 and contact with these parts and with each other, the shafts 8 to 11 are held against endwise displacement. v t

The knobs 7 and 12 to 15 are in the form of discs and may be secured to their re spective shafts in any well known or appropriate manner. The knobs 7 and 12 to 15 gradually increase in diameter rearwardly and in the order named, and their edges are beveled and arranged in alinement. The knobs 7 and 12 to 15 will beeach provided at its edge with'the usualscale, the zero marks 16 of the scales only being shown. The knobs 7 and 12 to 15 are providedintheir edges with notches 17 which the invention together extend transversely thereof and are located near the zero marks 16 and aline with each other when the Zero marks are in alinement. A latch bar 18 has its lower end pivoted, as at 19, in the notch 17 of the knob 7, and is adapted to be swung into and out of engagement with the notches of the knobs 12- to 15. The width of the latch bar 18 is, as clearly shown in Figure 4, equal to the depth of the notches 17, so that the latch bar will not, when in active position, project beyond the peripheries of the knobs 7 and 12 to 15, and the thickness of the latch bar is, as shown in Figure 8, substantially equal to that of the width of the notches so that the latch bar will, when in active position, contact with the side walls of the notches to prevent any relative movements of the knobs and to prevent the accidental movement of the latch bar from active into inactive position. The latch bar 18 is provided at its upper free end with an up wardly directed extension 20 which provides a finger grip through the medium of which the latch bar may be readily swung out of the notches 17 of the knobs 12 to 15, the finger grip extending above the disc 15 to per mltit to be easily grasped.

The latch bar 18 is pivoted to the knob 7 near the front end of the notches 17 of this knob, as shown ,in Figure i, so as to permit it, when in inactive positlon, to extend across the front' side of this knob and thus occupy a position which will prevent its interfering with the turning of this or the other knobs.

It should be apparent from the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, that the respective shafts carry the movable plates of the respective condensers, that when the latch bar is in engagement with all of the knobs, the shafts and knobs are locked together and the movable plates of the condensers may be simultaneously adjusted, and that when the latch bar is out of engagement with the knobs, the shafts and knobs are free for independent movement and the movable plates and the containers may be independently adjusted.

\Vhile I have described the principle of with the device which I now consider the preferred embodiment thereof, it is to be understood that the structure shown ismerely illustrative and that such changes may be made, when desired, as fall within the scope of the invention as claimed.

I claim 1. An adjusting or tuning device for variable condensers, comprising a series of concentrica-lly related and independently turnable shafts, each shaft carrying the movable plates of a condenser, knobs secured to the shafts to permit them to be turned independently and provided with peripheral notches, and a latch bar pivotally secured at one end in the notch in one of the knobs for movement into and out of the notches of the other knobs, the latch. bar being adapted when in the notches of all of the knobs to secure the knobs together to permit the shafts to be simultaneously turned.

2. An adjusting or tuning device for variable condensers, comprising a series of concentrically related and independently turnable shafts, each shaft carrying the movable plates of a condenser, knobs secured to the shafts to permit them to be turned inde pendently, the knobs being arranged one in rear of the other and gradually increasing in diametrical dimension from front to rear, the knobs being provided with peripheral notches, and a latch bar pivoted at one end in the notch of the foremost knob and mova ble into and out of the notches of the other knobs, the latch bar being adapted when in the notches of all of the knobs to secure the knobs together and thus permit the shafts to be turned simultaneously.

An adjusting or tuning device for varibeing arranged close to said marks to cause them to aline when said marks are alined, a latch pln pivoted at one end in the notch of the foremost knob and adapted to be. moved into and out of the notches of the other knobs, the latch bar when in the notches of all. the knobs securing the knobs together to permit the shafts to be simultaneously adjusted, and a finger piece carried by the free end of the latch bar and extending above the largest knob when the latch bar is in the notches of all the knobs.

4. An adjusting or tuning device for variable condensers, comprising a series of concentrically related and independently rotatable shafts each carrying the movable plates of a condenser, knobs secured to the shafts to permit them to be turned independently, the knobs being provided with notches formed in and extending transversely of their peripheries, the knobs being arranged one in rear of the other and gradually increasing in diametrical dimension from front to rear, and a latch bar pivoted at one end in the notch of the foremost knob and movable into and out of the notches of the other knobs, the latch bar having a width equal to the depth of the notches so as not to project beyond the peripheries of the knobs when engaged in the notches, and the latch bar being provided at its free end with an extension projecting above the peri hery of the rearmost knob and providing a inger grip by means of which the latch bar may be withdrawn from the notches of those knobs located rearwardly of said foremost knob.

5. An adjusting or tuning device for variable condensers, comprising a series of concentrically related and independently rotatable shafts each carrying the movable plates of a condenser, knobs secured to the shafts to permit them to be turned independently, the knobs being provided with notches formed in and extending transversely of their peripheries, the knobs being arranged one in rear of the other and gradually increasing in diametrical dimension from front to rear, and a latch bar pivoted at one end in the notch of the foremost knob and movable into and out of the notches of the other knobs, the latch bar having a width equal to the depth of the notches so as not to project beyond the peripheries of the knobs when engaged in the notches, the latch bar being provided at its free end with an extension projecting above the periphery of the rearmost knob and providing a finger grip by means of which the latch bar may be withdrawn from the notches of those knobs located rearwardly of said foremost knob, the latch bar having a thickness equal to the width of the notches so as to establish such contact with the side walls of the notches as to prevent it from accidental displacement from the notches, and the latch bar being pivoted near the front end of the notch of said foremost knob so as to permit it to occupy a position in front of this knob when it is withdrawn from the notches.

In testimony whereof I hereunto afiix my si gn ature.

JAMES ERWIN DENTON. 

